Pros: Mike Olse does it again! I went out to play this course because I heard so much about it and this thing is fantastic. It reminds me so much of Brushy Creek Sports Park except this more open and a longer course. Easier to navigate as well. Holes 1 through 4 start you off as a warm-up for the rest of the course. Number 1 being the longest. Number 2 and three are short par 3 holes and pretty much straight shots to the basket. Hole 4 is a little longer being a double crossing of the creek that runs through this course and demands a very accurate shot or the disker gets in trouble quick. Hole 5 is a short 190 foot par 3 hole but also demands an accurate throw or it is fishing time in the creek again. Hole 6 is a short throw by the creek par three, but once again, a chance to lose a disc. I lost one on this one. I still managed to bogey this hole even with the penalty throw. Hole 7 is a straight-away par 3 or four depending which tee you are throwing from. Hole 8 is a long 805 par 4 or 5 depending on whether you are pro or am. Hole 9 was my showcase hole. This one was deuce all the way. Loved the throw between two trees over the creek. Then a straight shot at the basket. Ching! Hole 10 pretty much is a wide open straight shot par 4 until you get to the basket. It sits on a jut out over water. You have to be accurate with your putter or it will miss and roll down into the creek like mine did. I did hit with the second one though. Holes 11 through 15 play in the woods and are relatively short. Holes 16 through 18 are longer and play you right back to where you parked to start play. This course was a good challenge overall and well worth the stopover to play.

Cons: Only one that I saw was the transition from holes 15 to 16. A wrong turn and you wind up back at hole 8. Otherwise I find nothing else to say that I could find wrong with this course.

Other Thoughts: This is a good, solid 18-hole challenge of a disc golf course. Mike Olse did an excellent job with this one. The only other course I could see where he might have topped himself so far was the gold course down in Ingleside, Tx. Otherwise this is a fun course to play and has many good challenges to it.

Pros: This is a course many a disc golfer can get their chops and throws into! That is, if it is dry. I was there on a day that it was very wet and muddy and this course is at best a 3 on a day like that. Otherwise, an excellent course for testing your mettle and very deserving of a 4 on a dry course. Too many throws into the creek for me. When I came across hole 5 and saw it was mostly creek for fairway, I didn't bother. Best hole here? The long one. 805 for hole 8 from tee to basket. 9 gives a good gap throw challenge.

Cons: I imagine this course stays messy pretty much throughout the year, unless there is a drought. Too wet, too messy, and way too difficult.

Other Thoughts: I do not relish going on a disc hunt every time I play a course. I don't mind looking for some, but when I have to on every hole or have to go "fishing" for a disc, that gets tiring! You people that like these so-called "fun" courses can have them. If I want to go hunt for something, I will regress and go hunt for Easter Eggs.

Pros: This course is definitely in my top 3 in the Austin area (other two probably being Circle C and MetroCenter ). We decided to play this course over Falcon Pointe because it was a windy day. I am extremely happy with this decision.

1. Signs were well posted and insightful.

2. Course has an excellent variety of shots: lefts, rights, narrow, open, long short

3. Tee boxes are concrete and wide. They are provided for both the Amateur and Pro shots.

Cons: Manor is a bit far for me 17 miles but given the time, I would gladly drive out there again.

Other Thoughts: I went after it rained and the field was quite muddy. Therefore, I can't speak to the park's drainage.

Design
*From the Long tees this is a Gold level course, so it will test even the most highly skilled players. Even though my skill level is much lower (White level) I especially enjoy occasionally playing such high caliber courses as a way to gauge my game against what the best players would play.
*Fairways- have great shape variety and a very good mix of terrain. Some holes are fairly open and you can air it out, some have nice grass with scattered trees, some are classic tight woods holes needing lots of accuracy.
*Ideal Length variety- There's a smattering of lengths in every range! Blue tees: 2 <199/ 5 of 200-299/ 2 of 300-399/ 2 of 400-499/ 3 of 500-599/ 3 of 600-699/ 1 of 805. (Notice that 10 holes are over 400 ft.) The long holes are legitimate par 4s, so that adds variety too.
*Creek beds and water- There are creek beds on 15 holes! Not every creek had water in it, but these add to the beauty and when they have water in them they add to the challenge. It appears that the water levels vary throughout the year. You can also find a description of the water holes at my East Metro Course notes page.
*Beauty- I think the course is really beautiful in a rugged, Texas kind of way. Cacti mix with blue bonnets and old trees.
*Challenging greens- lots of protected baskets and risk vs. reward with stream beds or possible roll aways.

Cons:Basics
-Maintenance. It was Spring, but quite a few fairways had knee deep grass covering the whole fairway. Even with good throws you could lose a disc right in the middle of the fairway if you didn't track it closely. This took a good deal of extra energy and added unnecessary tension. This is the biggest factor that lowered my enjoyment of the course.
-Navigation. Some baskets are hard to see, so the maps on the tee signs help a lot.
-Rough. It can be very thick and thorny in places.

Design
-Navigation. There are a few long walks to the next tees, most notably tee 16, but tees 9 and 2 were a hike too.

Amenities
-Course map. The online map needs improvement. It doesn't have any hole numbers, so it's a bit confusing to figure out. Plus it's rather drab.

~The course is new, but in time it would be good if they could add some more amenities like score cards, a practice basket, trash cans, and some benches.

East Metro is now in my Top Favorites category, so I can't wait to get back there again! My thanks go to the designer, Mike Olse, the builders, and everyone who works on it. I consider this a destination course and a "must play" in the Austin area, so it's worth making a long drive to play. If you have the chance, don't miss this course!

NOTE: Look in the "Links/Files" section for my files with Hole-by-hole evaluations, and a more detailed Overall review. You can also read more of my reviews and rating notes at the Yahoo Group, DG Course Reviews

Pros:
This is not your father's disc golf course. This is not a simple Sunday stroll though the park. This is a course that will challenge your ability to throw a disc. Distances range from under 200' to over 800'. Lefty holes, righty holes, uphill and downhill... the balance of shots is just fantastic. To conquer this course you'll need a full repertoire of shots. The fairways are fair and the rough is rough. Realistic par 4's are sprinkled throughout this course. The tee signs are top notch HouckDesign quality. The park is beautifully maintained. There are restrooms in the park (though not near the course). Top quality DISCatcher baskets in good shape. Concrete tee pads that are large enough for a standard 3 step x-step run up. Long and short tees available (both concrete) make this course applicable to a wider range of players. Course is located away from other park activities so interference from non-disc golfers should be at a minimum. There are several trash cans along the course.

Cons:
If you throw a disc more than a few feet off the fairway into the rough prepare yourself for a Safari adventure through sharp/thorny/prickly fauna.

A few navigation issues will hinder first timers: we had issues going from #5 to #6 and then #15 to #16. Could use some next tee markers along the way. A printed map will help you but the one on DGCR right now could use some numbers instead of the color coding. Make note of the "Next Tee" arrows on the tee signs before you leave the box.

Other Thoughts:
This is a multi-use park with boatloads of other amenities (see the park website). Read the directions on DGCR for getting to the first tee once you enter the park.

Adding to the aesthetics of the course were several holes with creative hole numbers marked out, e.g. #5 has a large "5" built out of rocks; #9 has a "9" made from old fence wire hanging in the tree. How they got concrete back to some of the tee locations is really an impressive feat. We saw several small furry animals and a roadrunner, but luckily no snakes.

Definitely a destination course despite being off the beaten path in Austin.

Pros: Course is very challenging and quite long but playing conservative is also a good game plan for those looking to remain "in the hunt". Trying to be aggressive can lead to amazing scores like the designer, Mike Olse's 55 or it could lead to MANY MANY 5s,6s, and even the possibility of 8s and more,

Good shots are rewarded by better looks to the pin on the par 4 and 5s and on the shorter holes a accurate smooth throw will leave you with a birdie putt.

One thing I like about this course is the different mindset the designer had when it came to the par 3s. Most of the par 3s are 260 or under with 3 or so being <220ft but these holes bring very definite lines into play that you either hit or kick off leaving a tough upshot.

Every shot in the bag is needed and no one shot is constantly repeated with the course favoring neither a righty or lefty but the player who plays the smartest, chooses the right time to attack, and executes their shots.

Cons: The terrain if somewhat rough with small rocks and such that are common to the Texas Hill Country along with prickly trees and underbrush that can leave you bloodied and you discs missing.

Other Thoughts: This is a great course for competitive golf but I don't think I would make it my casual course of choice (especially in the hot Texas summer) but if you do it will only improve your game

Pros: Excelent layout with good elevation change. Accuracy and distance a must if you want to shoot near par. Great scenery and challenging holes made this course one of my top 10! In my opinion, one of the best maintained courses outside of pay to play courses. Nice trimmed fairways, clear walking paths, clean t boxes, and nice hole signs. Fun and technical course!

Cons: FIRE ANTS!!!! watch out for ant hills, they are nasty! and a small bee hive on 17! they dont mess with you if you dont mess with them. LOTS of nature so be carefull around brush and in the woods. Wear shoes with good grip after rain because some of the banks are kind of muddy.

Other Thoughts: Will deffinately play this course many more times! Love to play all over the state, this is one of the best so far!

Pros: -Superb mixture of tight tunnels and wide open and well groomed holes.
-Set in the tall grass prairie; rolling plains with a savanna like feel to it.
-Pro and Amateur tee boxes, plenty of trash cans and benches
- I love the holes that are well groomed and nice and long. Decent Elevation present
All in all, this course is a must play. Don't let my rattlesnake encounter scare you. I find it funny people give negative reviews on this site when someone is just trying to tell the truth.

Cons: It would be nice to see a few more benches as there are some long walks from hole to hole.
**Watch Your Step**
I saw a 5 foot Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that was resting on the fringe, just outside the fairway. My friend came really close to stepping on him, and the snake didn't rattle !!! I think they're learning not to rattle so be careful out there.
Ironically enough, just before seeing the beautiful serpent, I saw a plump looking cottontail rabbit hopping around about 10-15 yards away from where the snake was.

Other Thoughts: There is no question about it, East Metro Park definitely exhibits the characteristics of a world class course. Easily a top 5 course for Central Texas.

Pros: Even after touring the west coast, this one is in my top 5 favorite courses of all time. Beautiful from the first drive. Very clean and well maintained. Defined fairways that don't throw back on each other. Fairway grass was short when present and trees seemed to be trimmed up. Nice elevation changes throughout. Long deep drives and control are definitely a must, but your ability to have a good recovery shot is also important. While the fairways on most holes give a nice tunnel, if you shank one, its in the ROUGH.
Course plays smooth. Some holes are a little far apart and a little confusing for a first timer (#15>#16), but overall easy to follow. Nice signs and boxes.
I like how the creek runs through most of the course and some holes fairways almost have islands you throw to = makes precision a must. At least one water stroke is probable. And some of the pins have water backdrops so good putting is a plus.
Also, I like the variety of hole distances. While most holes here are big, there are some nice ace runs. Nice left and right shots, with a variety of wooded and open shots.
Hole 18= awesome! Nice deep open hole that you can open up on. Big elevation drop with creek on right side wrapping around the back of the pin.
Parking is free and right next to the first tee box so that is convenient.

Cons: Short tee boxes.
Maybe signs at end of hole 15 to help direct to 16